Writing Prompt – United States Flag Day

June 14th in the United States is Flag Day, commemorating the day the 2nd Continental Congress adopted the flag. This happened in 1777, though Flag Day wasn’t officially celebrated until 1916 when President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation.

Congress officially sealed the deal in 1949 by establishing National Flag Day.

Originally, flags were used in military maneuvers for coordination on the battlefield and identifying sides. In environments where other types of communication are hampered, flags have served as basic signalling devices.

Here’s a link to an article on International Maritime Signal Flags.

Today, flags are still used for communication and messaging, but can be seen in advertising or used for decorative purposes.

Here’s Your Prompt:

• Create a flag to identify you, or a character in your stories, or a place in your world. Devote some time to thinking about what should be depicted on the flag and what the symbols will stand for. What traits are you, your character or your worlds built on? What ideals?

  Here is a web site devoted to flags and flag symbolism.
   

• Flags are often associated with patriotism. Write a poem about patriotism or a patriot.
   
• In the US Colonial Era, Patriots were despised by the Loyalists (Tories, or, King’s Men). Write a story or poem from the point of view of someone like a Tory.